


love's not time's fool

by denouementt



Series: albus & scorpius; fifth year [8]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Coming Out, Father-Son Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-09
Updated: 2017-07-09
Packaged: 2018-11-29 15:50:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11444091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/denouementt/pseuds/denouementt
Summary: “What’s up?” His dad asked, running his pale fingertips over the doily spread across the table between the two chairs.“I know we’ve had a pretty rough relationship the last year,” Scorpius started. He picked up one of his mother’s fabric bookmarks that was strewn over the table and rolled it between his hands, seeking some comfort from the sole being who ever made him feel completely at ease. “And I feel really, really bad that there was ever a moment when we weren’t close. We have to have each other’s backs nowadays. If we don’t, who else do we have?”or the one where scorpius comes out.





	love's not time's fool

**Author's Note:**

> it's taken me very long to get this out, but I was finally hit with a wave of inspiration so here it is. Ik this one isn't as much scorp/al as usual, but I like delving into their family relationships as well as their own relationships. love always. xo
> 
> tumblr: scorpiusmlafoy

As Scorpius glanced around what was once a very decorated and luxurious Manor he was struck with the reality that they were finally moving. There were a few boxes here and there full of the more delicate belongings that his dad didn’t trust being moved by a Portkey; but most of their satin curtains, velvet ottomans and black, oak chairs had already been taken to the new property just on the outskirts of London. After years of debating whether or not to move their little family somewhere different, his dad had finalised a deal on a beautiful house in a predominantly wizarding neighbourhood just a short journey from the Leaky Cauldron, and an even shorter one from Kings Cross.

As of tomorrow they would no longer be residing in this pillared mansion that echoed with the skeletons of the Malfoy family’s past. Scorpius wouldn’t have to sulk down a corridor and visualise their Minister for Magic being pinned down on the floor as she was tortured by one of his family members. Of course Scorpius admitted that the Manor was an exceedingly beautiful place to live and, if he thought hard enough, he would accept that he was very lucky to have been raised in such a stable and wealthy place. But ever since he spent Christmas with the Potters he had been yearning for somewhere to call home. He may live in the Manor and it may technically be his house, but it was never his home. Even when his mother was still alive there was never a moment when he felt completely settled or relaxed in any room of the house. There was always an unsettling shiver that ran down his spine as he passed through the open archways into the obnoxiously high-ceilinged rooms.

He wanted somewhere that felt safe and warm. He wanted a home where he could slouch on their settee in the evening and allow himself to be fully absorbed into the new book he’d found in his mother’s old collection. He wanted a small garden with little patches of vegetables that they were growing themselves, some plants that Professor Longbottom had taught him about in Herbology. Scorpius desired small, quaint rooms with squeaky floorboards and carpeted floors. And after months of begging his dad to at least consider viewing properties elsewhere, Draco had succumbed to his son’s wishes and handed the keys back to Lucius and Narcissa; they were to move the next day, starting fresh somewhere that they could create new memories without them being tainted by the past that hid amongst the fibres of the tapestries on the Manor’s walls.

Their new home wasn’t exactly what Scorpius had wished for, but it was close enough. His father had demanded some balance between both their expectations for the move to ever go forwards. Scorpius wanted homely and quaint whereas his father wanted modern and minimalism. Draco wanted to sustain his profile and reputation of always being sleek, and he believed living in a house that represented those qualities would help prove those traits to anyone who came to visit. Their kitchen was to hold the minimalistic elements Draco wanted: black furnishing donning the circumference of the room, silver cutlery placed perfectly in the glass cabinets. Even the lights that hung from the ceilings were little orbs of a ghastly fake blue-toned wash. Draco had come across them as he walked to the Ministry one day, hanging in the window display of an independent Muggle shop called ‘Montgomery Interiors’; he persuaded one of his co-workers to exchange some Galleons for Muggle money and bought them on the way back home. The living room and Scorpius’ bedroom would then be reflective of the idyllic house he had always dreamed about. They’d bought new furniture, all worn and used, to place in the living room and Scorpius had already been planning out the layout of his new, smaller bedroom so it would finally speak his true personality.

As Scorpius wandered around the emptying hallways he was struck with a slight feeling of nostalgia; he could list off on his fingers certain moments that had happened in exact locations around the Manor. He had crawled for the first time along the corridor joining the dining room and the kitchen together, his parent cheering fondly as he pattered across the marbled floors. He cut his elbow for the first time on one of the snake decorations that outlined the main fireplace in the drawing room. The silver decoration looped around the black fireplace, sharp edges indicative of the Slytherin pride that swam through the family’s heritage. He was about four years old and was chasing after a toy dragon that his Aunt Daphne had gifted him for his birthday when he bumped into the snake and cut deeply into his elbow. In his mother’s library he cried for the first time, read his first book and even told his first lie. His favourite character had died in a Muggle book called ‘The Great Gatsby’, his mother read him a little picture book called ‘The Journey of Pippin the Pygmy Puff’ and he told his mother that he didn’t spill pumpkin juice over her newest copy of _Witch Weekly_.

There were countless pasts, presents and potential futures that were hidden among the walls of the mazy Manor. Deep in his chest Scorpius knew he was going to miss this place, miss the memories of times spent with his mother and miss the conversations he had with his father after a bad term at school. He never let himself dwell on these thoughts for too long, though. Scorpius knew they would both be happier somewhere else; despite how much packing up their entire lives hurt, Scorpius believed this was the right decision for them.

He glanced into his mother’s old library as he passed by on what he knew would be his last complete tour of the Manor. The room had been mainly untouched since she had passed away, only Scorpius entered to take a book every now and again when he had emptied his own collection. Scorpius wondered how his dad would face having to pack up the room. It was, in reality, the only part of the Manor that still had his mother’s presence looming in it. Draco hadn’t gone into the library since he died, he refused to even open the door sometimes because it was just so hard to accept that nobody would ever sit in the raspberry coloured seats again. It was for that reason that Scorpius expected his dad to run up to him in the days leading up to their move to request he pack up and sort out the belongings in the library.

But he never did, and only after looking the room did it make sense. His dad was hunched over a roll of parchment; he occasionally tore off a little piece, scratched a word into it before bewitching it to hang on a piece of furniture. He looked long and hard at everything before making the decision on the parchment, but even from where Scorpius was stood he could tell that he was writing the same word for everything.

“Dad,” Scorpius started, stepping into the room after a few minutes of watching his from the doorway. “Do you need any help?”

Draco shook his head, gesturing loosely to the parchment attached to almost everything already. “I’ve basically done. You could look through the books on the shelves and see if there are any you don’t want bringing.”

“Don’t want?” Questioned Scorpius, crossing over to the bookcases to examine the contents. He looked over at all the furniture when he was by the bookcases, noticing the word ‘keep’ written over all bar a few of the pieces of the furniture. The other ones simply had ‘mine’ scrawled over them; a notebook, picture frame and blanket were labelled as ‘mine’.

“I assumed you’d want to bring everything with you? I intended to basically recreate this room in our new house.” His dad’s voice was scratchy. He was vocally exhausted, the stress and emotion clearly having a physical effect on him. It wasn’t until now that Scorpius realised how difficult this was going to be for him. He had only lived here for fifteen years, but his dad had lived here his whole life, many of those years with his mother by his side. Packing up each room was packing up his childhood, his teenage years and the majority of his adult life.

“That makes sense. There’s nothing here that I don’t want. Mum’s taste is amazing, she always had an eye for an amazing book,” Scorpius said, taking a seat in one of the raspberry coloured chairs as he watched his dad continue to label. “Why do you want to recreate it? Wouldn’t it be nicer to have a little bit of this everywhere in the house so mum will be everywhere? I don’t think she’d want to be locked up to one room.”

“Neither do I, but I can’t bring myself to display any of this. If it’s everywhere in the house then people will ruin it, and I don’t want them getting rid of the only things I have left of her.”

Scorpius nodded, swallowing thickly to mute the emotions that were bubbling in his throat. Everywhere in the room were labels of ‘keep’; he didn’t understand why his dad didn’t just instruct the movers to keep everything in the room instead of meticulously going through everything. In fact, Scorpius didn’t even understand what his dad was labelling now anyway, since everything that was major already had parchment attached to it. He thought it was perhaps because this was his dad’s one and only time in this room, and he wanted to drink up every moment of it before someone came and unsettled all the dust that had found its home over the many years spent untouched.

“Why don’t you sit for a little, dad?” Scorpius urged, resting his hands on the arms of the chair. He’d been so preoccupied with the move and making sure everything was ready for when they were to leave that he completely forgot about what he and Albus had agreed to do over this holiday. He suddenly felt dread fill him from the top of his head to the tips of his toes, the nostalgic sadness being replaced by a rush of nerves and uncertainty. He watched his dad shuffle over to the chair, closing his eyes as he settled into the cushions underneath him.

He couldn’t do it now, surely. His dad was so overcome with emotion he probably wouldn’t be able to think straight, his reaction wouldn’t be a true reflection of what he actually thought. But at the same time this seemed like the perfect place and time to tell him. In a room where he could feel his mother’s presence, the first and last time they would ever be sat in here as what felt like a family of three. The second they apparated away from the Manor they would be making a new start, and what better way to do that than to be completely open. Start as they mean to go on, truly understanding one another and being completely open for the first time in a very, very long time. There had been too many lies, miscommunications and intensities the past year that Scorpius yearned to wash them all away before they started their new life together.

Scorpius wondered whether Albus had already told his parents; they probably reacted as perfectly as parents would, just as Scorpius had told Albus on the train journey back. The thought of Albus telling the Potters only made him more nervous. His dad was the only family he had left, really. He had his grandparents, but they were never going to be at the same level as his dad. If something went wrong between the two of them then he would be completely alone, abandoned for the foreseeable future. There was a part inside him that was scolding his mind for thinking so negatively of his dad, his wonderful dad who had been so supportive of his personality, his ambitions and his very unMalfoy-ish was of life. How dare he think so pessimistically about the person who had helped raise him to be the very individual he was today?

He looked over at his dad and sighed. He would pay infinite Galleons to read his mind, to get a glance inside his mind so he could truly understand what was whirring around his brain. He wanted so desperately to help, to offer some sort of comfort for the irreplaceable loss he had experienced. But Scorpius knew even if he had the ability to read minds the way he just wished that he would never be able to make a difference. In the same way that his dad couldn’t truly help him overcome his grief, he would never be able to help ease the agony.

“Dad,” Scorpius mustered out, clearing his throat upon noticing how high-pitched his voice had become. “There’s something I should tell you.”

Draco’s eyes opened, staring worryingly over at Scorpius. Their identical blue eyes clashed and Scorpius felt as though his dad was already staring into his soul, absorbing every secret that shivered through his bones. It was scary; the prospect of truly opening up to someone frightened him to his core. He knew he would suddenly be very vulnerable, open to criticism. Scorpius feared more than anything the rejection of his dad. If there was one thing that could terrify him into resuming silence and compliance it was the threat that his dad would leave him all by himself. Scorpius didn’t much like being by himself. Perhaps that’s why he was so scared.

“What’s up?” His dad asked, running his pale fingertips over the doily spread across the table between the two chairs.

“I know we’ve had a pretty rough relationship the last year,” Scorpius started. He picked up one of his mother’s fabric bookmarks that was strewn over the table and rolled it between his hands, seeking some comfort from the sole being who ever made him feel completely at ease. “And I feel really, really bad that there was ever a moment when we weren’t close. We have to have each other’s backs nowadays. If we don’t, who else do we have?”

He paused, glancing into his lap to escape the emotionless gaze of his dad. He knew he wasn’t feeling emotionless; there was something about the way he clutched the pillow and rubbed his lips together that was indicative of his concern. But his eyes told no story, and he couldn’t bear looking into them knowing he was spilling his whole heart out to someone retaining everything to himself.

“We have nobody, really. I know you have your parents, and I have my friends- well, friend. But none of those can ever really compare to what we have. You never know the true purpose or importance of something until you’ve lost it. And I felt that with mum. I appreciated and adored her for the whole time that she was here, but when she wasn’t around I suddenly realised how important she was. How important mum’s are. Because, I know you hate to admit it, you can’t cook as well as she does and you haven’t really ever learned how to properly wash clothes. And I suppose that’s the same for a lot of dads in the world. I don’t want to assume, but I imagine many single dads have the same struggles as you. Having to adjust to life without their partners, having to learn how to do everything for their child. With nobody there to help balance the duties, everything can become a bit overwhelming. But that’s beside the point.” He continued, exhaling deeply.

“The point is that I didn’t truly realise how much I would ever miss mum until the moment where I had no choice but to learn. The first day after she passed away, walking past her library was the worst moment of my life so far. More than watching her actually pass. Because in that moment I truly realised how necessary her presence is, was. We were detached for ages, dad. We were both alone, walking down the same path but never coming across each other. We didn’t have each other’s backs. We weren’t supporting each other the way we should. And that was hard. For the first time in a long while I felt truly alone. I had nobody. I know I had Albus and you, despite all that had happened, but everyday being so far from you made me feel so isolated.”

“Scorpius, where’s this heading? You’re starting to worry me.” His dad interrupted, leaning towards him as to not miss a single word he was saying.

“It’s leading to me saying I feel like we’ve slipped into that phase again. Detached. Not really close with each other. I know after everything that happened last year we speak more, but I know there are things that we are keeping from one another, and that hurts. You’re my dad, the person I love and trust most in this world. If I’m keeping things from you then I’m keeping things from myself and I don’t like that. I want my dad to be my best friend, and I want us to trust each other equally again. Moving house is something big for us, and I want to settle everything between us before we get to the new place. I want the new place to be an open and happy environment, no bad memories or feelings. So I want to clear the air and talk about this issue with you because it’s something that matters to me. And because it matters to me, it also matters to you. Even if you don’t want it to matter, it will. Because I’m your son and what affects me will also affect you.”

“I does matter to me, Scorpius. You’re speaking awfully fast again,” Draco said, tapping his fingers over the table. Scorpius now knew he was truly nervous; he felt awful for making his dad worry again, but there was no other way he could articulate such strong emotions without rambling in his usual, high-pitched way. “Just say it, please. I can see it’s eating you up.”

“I’m not straight, dad,” Scorpius murmured, throat tight and fingers even tighter as he clenched onto the bookmark for dear life. He turned the bookmark over into his palm and read the quote embroidered into the beige material. ‘ _Whatever souls are made of, his and mine are the same.’_ He exhaled, reciting the words over and over in an attempt to calm the noises resonating through his delicate brain. “I’m bi, bisexual that is. I hope you know what that means.”

His dad quietly murmured “of course I know what that means” as to offer his approval while not exactly interrupting Scorpius in what was clearly an important monologue. Scorpius was grateful for that, and he made a mental reminder to thank his dad after his emotions subsided.

“I liked Rose since I was eleven. But at the same time I knew I liked someone else, even though it’s taken me many years to understand and accept that. I’m not quite ready to say the person’s name yet, even though I highly believe you already know who it is, because I know that’ll take away from the importance of what I’m saying right now. The person it is can be a conversation for later on. Anyway.” Scorpius mumbled, stumbling over his words as he attempted to coherently bring his dad through his jumble of thoughts.

“I liked Rose for many years. I got nervous when she was around and felt like an idiot when I embarrassed myself in front of her. She was the first girl I ever really spoke too, and when she talked to me on the train for the first time I genuinely thought I had fallen in love. But then as the years went by, I started having other feelings for someone else. At first I just assumed it was the friendship deepening. We started having more conversations, telling each other more things. It felt like what friends did. But I realised after a while that what I was feeling was really a subdued, more controlled version of what I felt for Rose. I cried the night I realised that. It was one of the worst, sleepless nights I have ever experienced. Because I was so confused. I didn’t know who I was, how to express the feelings. It was so lonely, even lonelier because I didn’t have my dad by my side.” Scorpius continued, slowing his pace down as he found his footing.

“I thought I was odd. More odd than I already am. Being a wizard for one thing is very odd, but I’ve accepted that I’ll always be different to other people. And it took me some time to realise that being odd is a good thing. I then took time to think about everything and realised what I am. I don’t like labels, they feel very confining. But it’s nice knowing that I’m not _lost_ , that I actually have a place in this world and that there are others like me. Basically,” he concluded, setting his hand on top of his dads on the table. “I am who I am. I wouldn’t change who I am, and I hope you understand and accept who I am.”

And with that it was all in the open. He currently felt like an open wound; he felt as though someone had just lashed a curse directly at his chest and that his dad would either fix him with a healing spell while ambushing him with love, or, would watch as his wound bled and do nothing to help him away from the vulnerability and pain. It was a scary situation to be in. But, for the first time in a very long time, he felt relieved and happy. Being in this room, feeling the presence of his mother, he felt untouchable. Like there was a boundary protecting him from harm. It was a feeling that swelled his heart with confidence and love, and he wouldn’t change it for the world. Absorbing the everlasting warmth that his mother left in this room felt like a supportive blanket being dropped over his lap. As long as he was here, with her long lost touch drifting through the air, there was nothing that could ever make him feel pain.

There was a momentary silence between the pair. Scorpius gathered the courage to look his dad in the eyes and was met with a glistening pool of emotion. He didn’t know whether the developing tears were of happiness, sadness or a combination of both; he just hoped that they weren’t signs of anger or shame, because there was a worry in his mind that all of this safety and happiness could still come crashing down.

“I’m so proud of you, you know that?” Draco finally said, gently squeezing his son’s hands as he smiled over at him. “And so is your mum. I know she’s not exactly here to tell you that, but I know she was so proud of all you achieved before, and she would be proud of you now. Wherever she is, whatever world she is walking along, she is so proud of you.”

Scorpius nodded. He was unsure of how to react, what to say in response. He knew his dad was building up to something important, it was telling in the way that he was rubbing the pad of his thumb over Scorpius’ knuckles.

“I will always accept and love you. You are my son, my family and my life. Everything I do, I am doing it for you. We are moving because it’ll make you happier. I’m letting you take all of these books because I know it’s going to make you happier. It’s so hard for me to take all of this down, to take this house to pieces only to reassemble it somewhere else. But I trust you, just as you have trusted me here, and I know this is going to better us. Make us a better family, make us stronger. I love you so much, I don’t think you understand it. I didn’t think I would be a good parent. I was worried I would be like my father, very distant, only bothered about blood statuses. I knew that wasn’t who I was, but being raised in that environment has an effect on someone. But your mother made me realise how wrong I was,” Draco’s voice caught in his throat, some of his words getting lost. “Astoria made me realise how wrong I was. How I was very capable, and I just didn’t know it. We brought you into this world, a relationship built on love and adoration, and we tried our best to embed that in you. We wanted you to be happy, you to have a childhood and a life full of happy memories, thoughts and experiences. And you, my beautiful boy, you telling me this just now has made me realise we were successful.”

“How has me telling you I’m not straight made you realise you were successful?” Scorpius uttered, a little lost and emotional but endlessly reassured at the same time.

“It made me realise we were successful because you have built up the courage to tell me this. You just explained how emotionally draining it was, realising who you were. But you persevered to a point where you were, and are, happy enough to tell someone. The strength it has took you to do that alongside everything else going on in your life just proves how powerful you are. And for that, I am always proud of you.”

Scorpius nodded, swallowing all his emotions away. Or at least he tried too. He didn’t want to cry; this wasn’t a sad occasion, this was an occasion of happiness and bonding. He didn’t want to ruin the moment by crying his eyes out in a room that preserves happiness and joy. But he couldn’t help it. Among his overthinking a few tears slipped onto his cheeks, leaving a shimmery streak over his pale skin. As he went to brush them away he was pulled to his feet and so suddenly engulfed into a hug. He panicked for a moment, uncertain of what had happened and from being so overwhelmed at how quickly everything was progressing. But he smelt the familiar whiff of fire whiskey mixed with shoe polish and relaxed. The comforting rub on his back helped ease his breaths back to a normal rate, he felt as though he could actually breathe again. Without even opening his eyes he knew he was blinded by his tears, the presence of which being a clear indicator of how much this meant to him. He had kept this to himself for such a long time, knowing it was all in the open now felt like the final piece of his internal jigsaw had been filled.

He thought of Albus and how, hopefully, happy he was. They would both be able to be together now, publicly. Maybe not at school, but they could be affectionate in front of their families and it would be accepted. After the year they had, full of make ups and break ups amongst other family issues, Scorpius knew he was going to be grateful for this event. Being open and being together is something he didn’t think they’d ever accomplish. But here they were, miles apart from each other yet closer than ever in an incredibly unusual way. Scorpius knew he hadn’t told his dad about Albus yet, but there was no denying that he was very aware about what was going on and who the other person was. He was grateful that his dad didn’t bring that up, though, it was like he was respecting Scorpius’ limits and allowing him to tell everything at his own pace, but by bit. Today he would open up the first part, the main part, of his life and tomorrow he would open up the more detailed and individual parts.

He would be lying if he said he wasn’t excited, but there was also a flutter of nerves swimming in the base of his stomach. He was always nervous, but especially when thinking about Albus. There were just so many emotions swelling in his mind and most of them revolved around _him_. He had such an effect on Scorpius and he wasn’t even around. He was scared to see how this would change things, or, if they would at all; but he was also beyond excited, enthralled to see how this opened doors to developing their relationship. Being so open with their families would undoubtedly bring new challenges and new experiences to their budding romance. Scorpius thought of all the family get together’s he would be allowed to attend, pondered how his relationship with James and Harry in particular would now change. It was all so exciting, like this new bubble floating into his vision with endless possibilities for when it popped.

And then he looked back to his dad after pulling back from the hug. The man who raised him, loved him and accepted him would now be a major part of his life again. Despite what he and Albus gained through this experience, gaining his connection with his dad back was the most important thing to him. He would always love Albus in his own special way, but there was something between the father and son that could never be replaced and was only deepened by the exchange they just had. It warmed his heart to see his dad smile for the first time in this room. It was as though Astoria was there, involving with the conversation and giving her seal of approval. It hurt to think he would never be able to tell her in person, but he knew she knew. She was there with them, after all. In spirit. And that’s all that mattered in Scorpius’ mind.

“Now, come on,” Draco said, gently ruffling up Scorpius’ hair. “We’ve got some books to be packing up.” He murmured, words gentle as he spoke. As Scorpius glanced around the room one last time, eyes settling on a framed photo of the three of them huddled in the garden for Scorpius’ eleventh birthday, he knew they were going to be okay. They always were.

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr: scorpiusmlafoy


End file.
